In many internal combustion engines, an air cleaner is used to remove harmful particulate and other contaminants from an air intake stream before the steam enters the engine. The air cleaner includes filter media which in some instances can degrade or become less efficient in the presence of water. This can cause restriction of the air flow through the cleaner, which can decrease the efficiency of the engine. The water can also carry dirt and salt into the air cleaner which can shorten the life of the filter media. All this can be detrimental to the operation of the engine and can increase operational costs, as well as maintenance and repair costs. As such, some high performance engine applications rely on an intake water separator to remove water in the air stream before the air stream enters the air cleaner.
A water separator is offered by the assignee of the present invention under the mark/designation “Farr In-Line Water Separator”, which is a simple, compact, lightweight unit located between the air intake scoop and the air cleaner housing. An annular projecting rib is formed midway along the body of the water separator, and defines an enlarged annular channel interior of the body. An elongated drain tube extends downwardly from the rib, and terminates at its extended lower end in a drain aperture. In a typical installation, the upstream end of the water separator is secured to an inlet pipe at an elbow which causes the water in the moving air to be carried against the interior wall of the separator. The water then collects in the annular channel and drains down into the drain tube, where it can be collected. This configuration of separator has been found to be economical and efficient at separating water from the air flow (up to 90% of the water can be removed if properly installed), and has been widely used in many engine applications.
Other water separators are known which include an internal annular lip projecting co-axial with the body of the separator, in the upstream direction of air flow. The water collects externally of the lip (in the cavity between the lip and the inside walls of the water separator), and drains down into a lower drain tube as described above.
The above-described water separators are typically formed from metal (e.g., steel tube) in, multiple pieces (e.g., two body pieces and a drain tube), which are welded together.
Water separators are typically attached on the upstream side to the air intake scoop via a pipe or tube, and appropriate band clamps are used on the pipe-scoop connection, as well as on the pipe-separator connection. Likewise, on the downstream side, the separator can be fixed directly to the air cleaner housing such as with a clamp, or connected remotely via a tube or pipe. With a remote connection, a pair of band clamps are typically used—one on the pipe-housing connection and one on the pipe-separator connection. The water separator can also be connected directly to a “bonnet”, which, itself is held against the air cleaner housing with a strap and a buckle, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,365,980. In any case, there is some installation effort and expense in installing the water separator. There are typically multiple connection points between the water separator, the tubing/hose, and the air intake scoop and air cleaner—each of which requires some sort of fastener such as a band clamp or strap/buckle combination. Since the water separator is a separate and unique component, additional stock keeping units of the separator must be kept on hand, as well as stock keeping units of all the tubing/pipes and fasteners.
In certain current and expected engine applications, the air intake scoop and air cleaner housing are inexpensive, lightweight, plastic components. Locating a separate water separator between the air intake scoop and the air cleaner housing, and plumbing the water separator to both the scoop and the housing, adds undesirable cost, time and weight, and in effect defeats the purpose of minimizing the size and weight of the scoop and housing. The separate water separator, and tubing, band clamps, etc. also take up space, and require sufficient access for installation—all of which requires special consideration in engine design and runs counter to the desire to simplify and reduce the size, weight and cost of the engine.
In light of the above, it is believed there is a demand for a further improved water separator for an engine which is inexpensive, lightweight, simple and compact, and efficiently removes water from an air stream, but which does not require an additional unique component, does not require as much access space as previous designs, and which over-all raises fewer issues in engine design.